She sighed. Everything’s alright again... but why am I so unhappy? She asked herself.
Yeah, they had risked their lives just to save Weyard, and their homes. But now… there was still something that bothered her. She couldn’t really say what it was, but anyway, she was sad. It was now two weeks ago, that they had returned to Vale.

“Is something wrong?”, Mia turned her head around.

“Oh, Isaac. I didn’t expect it to be you…”, she answered.

“Should I go? I can leave, if you want to be alone…”, he said.

“No, stay, please. It’s okay.”, she smiled. It wasn’t a honest smile, just the same sad smile she had for the few last weeks.

“Are you… are you alright?”, he began when he sat down next to her.

“Yeah, I’m fine, thanks.”, she replied.

“Uhm… I…”, he stammered. “Well… it’s just, I wondered why you didn’t smile in the end, and why you didn’t say something like “I’m so happy, it’s over now!”, anyway, I was worried because I haven’t seen you smile. Just sitting here and watching the others laughing. So… what’s the problem?”, he asked.

Mia was silent. That was a good question. What kind of answer should she give him? She didn’t know the reason, why she was so sad herself. She didn’t know why she couldn’t smile and say I’m happy it is over now. She was confused about herself too.

“I mean, I don’t want to bother you, if you don’t want to tell me, you don’t have to.”, he said quickly.

“No… it’s not that I don’t want to tell you what’s wrong… It’s just… anyway… I’m sad. You’re right, it’s over and I should be happy now… I guess, I didn’t win anything. I saw you all with your families, and I’m happy, especially for you, Jenna and Felix. You got your parents back, that’s a great thing but… I haven’t got something or somebody like this anymore…”, she sighed again.

Isaac didn’t reply. She was right. She lost Alex, the only one who was a really close person to her, she lost her faith into the stories, the healers always told her, to protect the lighthouse. He knew that, he knew that all and he wanted to help her, to be there for her, but he wasn’t sure if that really was, what she wanted. In fact, he couldn’t really help her. Or at least cheer her up. And that was a fact, that made him angry. He knew, that she was always there for her friends, especially for him, if he didn’t feel good or had problems. She always knew what to do, if someone’s down. And now… he couldn’t give her what she had always given him.

“I’m sorry.”, he murmured.

“What for?”, she asked looking at the ground. “You don’t have anything to be sorry for.”, she added.

He was silent again. He had many thing to be sorry for. It was his fault, that she was that lonely now. He could have let her stay in Imil, and not let her come with him and the others. He could have protected her from some enemies, which had hurt her. But he didn’t, because he was too weak.

“I’m sorry.” He said again.

“What for?”, she asked a little bit angry now.

“Because I couldn’t protect you.”, he added.

“Protect me from what?”, she looked at him, puzzled.

“You could stay here in Vale, you know.”, he didn’t answer her question, he just searched for a solution to make her feel better.

“Not too long.”, she answered and ignored the topic before. “I have to teach Justin and Megan…I’m the only one who can do that now.”, she explained.

“Because you are the last Mercury-clan member alive, am I right?”, he guessed.

“Yeah.”, she answered.

“Why do you always think of other people? Why don’t you do, what you want?”, he asked her in confusion. He couldn’t understand how she could always think of someone else.

“Because I feel like I have to worry about the people around me.”, she returned, looking at the gras.

“But that’s wrong!”, he replied and stood up. “Come with me.”

Mia didn’t get what he was about to do. She looked at him, dizzy.

“Trust me.”

“Okay.”, she stood up and followed him. They went in a small forest near Vault. Mia saw lots of strange things flying around she had never seen before. “Where are we?”, she wondered.

“Just wait.”, he said smiling.

They reached a little quiet place. It seemed to be something like a glade, just not that pretty. She couldn’t see any flowers, but many brushwoods. He gestured her to sit down on a fallen tree. Mia sat down and eyed her surroundings.

“Listen.”, he began, “I’m not the only one, who thinks that you worry too much. You really should do something for yourself. I know, you’re sweet-tempered, kind, gentle and so on” – he blushed at this sentence and didn’t look into her eyes – “but nevermind, there’s a limit. And you overturned this limit already.”, he stopped.

She giggled. “Aww, what do you mean by this?”, she asked smiling.

“You should stay here in Vale. You can live at my house. I’m sure the people in Imil wouldn’t mind it, if you would do something for yourself. And about Justin and Megan… I’m sure the healer could teach them too, just so long ‘til you return to Imil. I don’t ask you to stay here in Vale for your whole life. Of course, you can leave anytime. I just want you…”, he stopped again when he saw her laughing at him. He blushed again. “Hey…”

He smiled. He didn’t expect, that he could persuade her so quickly. “So… you really do want to stay here?”, he asked her.

“Isn’t that, what you wanted me to do?”, she asked.

“I…”, he still blushed and looked to the ground. “No… I don’t want to force you to do that…”, he said.

Mia stood up and walked over to him. “I know.”, she replied. “You didn’t force me. You just showed me, what’s important for me.”, she closed her eyes. Then she opened them again and smiled at him. “Thank you for telling me how to let go.”, she huged him tightly.

He returned her hug. “I’m glad you stay.”, he said.

“Aww, isn’t that cute?” Both of them turned around – blushing – and looked at their grinning friend.

“Garet!”, Isaac shouted angrily.

“I just wanted to tell you, Lovebirds, we’re going to celebrate Vales rebuilding tomorrow. And maybe, I thought you both should find someone to celebrate with, but as I can see, you already have someone…”, he giggled.

Mia blushed and looked at the ground.

“You’re so tactless, Garet.”, Isaac said.

“I know.”, he grinned. “But I really like to be tactless, if I can see something like this. Maybe I’ll see you two next time doing something –“, the blonde Venus Adept gave his friend a warning look. “Okay, okay. I’m quiet.”, Garet turned around and said a quick goodbye.

“He’s such a pervert.”, Isaac tought loud.

“Yeah.”, Mia agreed.

“Wanna go back to the others? Before Garet tells everyone something that didn’t happen.”, Isaac knew Garet would tell everyone what he saw here. And he wouldn’t just tell them, that he huged Mia.

“Okay.”, she took his hand and they went through the forest. He followed her quietly. Her hand was cold, like always. He knew that this wasn’t abnormal. Kraden told him a long time ago, that Water Adepts belonged to icy temperatures, so it was completely normal, that her body temperature was lower than his. Altough he knew that she was normally colder than now. So he hoped, that was a good sign. He smiled.